I had the chance to be part of Verto Winery's 1st annual Buzz Festival. I was asked to create and use honey in recipes! My mom always her homemade salad dressings since I was little and I took inspiration from that. I also include one of my favorite recipes that I use during this time of the year, because my garden is exploding with cherry tomatoes. Theses recipes are keepers and are great to bring to your next pot luck or block party! Last year, Wisconsin honey bees produced over 3.4 million pounds of honey. Honey flavor and color can differ based off the type of flowers the nectar comes from. Common Wisconsin flavors include wildflower and clover.

Jicama, Citrus, Fennel Salad with Avocado

Serves 4-6

A fresh and refreshing summer salad.

1 Jicama, (1 medium) julienned

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into thin slices

1 grapefruit, cut into supreme

2 oranges, cut into supreme and reserve the juice in a bowl

1 fennel bulb, cored, trimmed and thinly sliced

Handful of chopped cilantro

Using a sharp knife, cut the tops and the bottoms of the grapefruit and oranges. Supreme the oranges and grapefruits by cutting off the skin and pith until you see the flesh of the fruit. Over a medium sized bowl, cut between the membranes of the grapefruit and oranges to release segments. Once all segments are released, squeeze the grapefruit and the orange juice into your bowl. If seeds are collected in the bowl, remove them.

Dressing:

1 shallot, minced

1 teaspoon, Katrina’s Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon flower honey

3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

A big pinch of kosher salt

A couple of grinds of fresh ground pepper

Whisk these 6 ingredients into the bowl with the grapefruit and orange juices. Combine all the fruits and vegetables, toss lightly and serve at room temperature.

Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Honey Ricotta

Recipe by: Susan Spungen (Food and Wine) Adapted by: Katrina Kozar

Serves 6

This is the appetizer of all appetizer, especially when your garden is full of cherry tomatoes!

2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved length wise

1 ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of honey

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoons kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 baguette, cut in ½ inch thick rounds (have your bakery do this)

1 cup fresh ricotta (8 ounces)

1 ½ tablespoons buckwheat or chestnut honey

6 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, honey, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Scrape the tomatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and turn them cut side up. Bake the tomatoes for about 1 hour and 25 minutes, until they begin to shrivel and brown. Let cool.

2. Preheat the broiler. Spread out the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil for about 30 seconds on each side, until the edges are golden brown.

3. Mix the red pepper flakes with the ricotta. Spread the ricotta over the baguette slices and top with the slow-roasted tomatoes. Lightly drizzle the tomatoes with the buckwheat honey, sprinkle with the sliced basil and serve with additional buckwheat honey on the side.

A delicious and traditional salad from Italy. It’s a pantry staple in my home.

1 can of Cannellini beans, drained and washed½ small red onion, halved and thinly slicedOne 3-ounce can albacore tuna, well drained and gently flaked½ cup minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil for the vinaigrette)1 bag of mixed greensKosher Salt to tasteLayer the salad on a platter. First with the greens, then the bean, red onions, tuna, and then sun-dried tomatoes. Lightly salt the mixture and gently toss to combine. Drizzle on the vinaigrette and toss lightly to thoroughly coat the ingredients.

Basil Vinaigrette

¼ cup red wine vinegar1 tablespoon of Katrina’s Dijon mustard1 tablespoon honey6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon Kosher salt½ cup oil from the sun dried tomatoes and then use extra virgin olive oil, if needed In a mason jar, combine all the dressing ingredients and then close with the lid and shake the dressing until incorporated. Taste for seasoning. This dressing will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

A Little About Me —

I am an honest, hardworking, and humble lady from Milwaukee, WI who loves her state! My true passion is for cooking and making people’s taste buds beg for more. I dream about peas in butter with shallots, smoked sausages (especially Hungarian), and anything that has to do with cabbage. Yes, I am a freak about cabbage. I learned from my mother and father as they let us girls (there are four of us) take over the kitchen and experiment. Cooking makes me feel at ease, and that I am master of my own little universe in my kitchen. I am at my best when the vinyl is rocking, the flame is hot, and the wine is flowing. Spend some time getting to know me and fall in love with my fight and love for food.